Naagar [நாகர் ] punar-Prathisthai at Triplicane

 

Naagar  [நாகர் ] punar-Prathisthai at Vasavi Partha Complex,

Venkatrangam Street, Triplicane

Venkatrangam Pillai Street winds it way from Triplicane Bus Terminus (no longer there) at Bharathi Salai [Pycrofts Road] cutting across Dr Besant Road – winding further becoming a much narrower lane till Lighthouse MRTS behind QMC College.  Buckingham canal runs sort of parallel to this at this stretch !!

Sri Parthasarathi Swami Sabha was a landmark premise – in 1970s/1980s – admission as a member to the sabha was premium and Triplicanites boasted being a member and rushed in to see dance, classical vocal kutcheris and more importantly stage dramas.  The entire stretch – is  a huge complex owned by TKKNN Vysya Charities [Thiruvallikeni Kollavari Katchi Nootaibandru Nagaramvari Vysya Charities] – there were many establishments functioning inside.  By 1994 – Srinivasa Enterprises promoted apartment complex at the very same place where sabha premises existed and named it Vijay Avenue consisting  of close to 60 flats.  The other industries contained in the complex too gave way and now it is full of apartments with Vasavi Partha blocks at the front.  

For decades and perhaps for centuries – there existed couple of big  Arasa maram and Naagars – devotees have been offering prayers and submitting milk too on important days especially during Aadi – more specifically Aadi Vellikkizhamai.  A huge Peepal tree (Ficus religios) gave way in recent times – it was estimated to be more than centuries old.  Today Vysya Charities have placed Naagar again at the very same place and would plant trees sooner.  Here is a short video taken this morning as also some photos taken by me.   https://youtu.be/iJbyUjy8vd0

 

 

நாகர் வழிபாடு என்பது  நாகர்களைத் தெய்வீக சக்திகளாகக் கருதி வழிபடும் தொன்மையான வழிபாட்டு மரபு.

தமிழகத்தில் அரசமரம்–வேப்பமரம் அருகிலும், திருக்கோயில்களின் தலவிருட்சங்களின் கீழும் நாகர் கற்கள் பிரதிஷ்டை செய்யப்பட்டிருப்பதைப் பரவலாகக் காணலாம். பெரும்பாலும் ஒற்றை நாகம், இணைந்த இரு நாகங்கள் அல்லது பல தலைகளுடன் கூடிய நாக உருவங்கள் கல்லில் செதுக்கப்பட்டிருக்கும்.

பல நூற்றாண்டுகள் பழமையான நகரக் குடியிருப்பான திருவல்லிக்கேணியின் பெருங்கோயில்கள் மட்டுமல்லாமல், அதன் தெருக்களிலும் மரத்தடிகளிலும் சிறு தெய்வ வழிபாடுகள் தொடர்ந்து வாழ்ந்து வருகின்றன. அவற்றுள் நாகர் வழிபாடும் ஒன்று. இன்று தனிக்கோயிலாக விளங்கும் நாகாத்தம்மன் ஆலயங்களோடு, அரசமரத்தடியில் பிரதிஷ்டை செய்யப்பட்ட நாகக்கற்களும் இந்த வாழும் வழிபாட்டு மரபின் அடையாளங்களாக இருக்கின்றன.  புற்றுக்குப் பால் தெளித்தல் என்பது தமிழகத்தில் நாக வழிபாட்டுடன் தொடர்புடைய மிகப் பழமையான வழிபாட்டு மரபுகளில் ஒன்று.

வைணவத்தில் நாகம் மிக உயர்ந்த தெய்வீகப் பொருளைப் பெறுகிறது. ஆதிசேஷன் ஸ்ரீமன் நாராயணனனுக்கு படுக்கையாகவும், அரியணையாகவும், குடையாகவும் இருந்து நித்திய கைங்கர்யம் செய்பவர். திருவரங்கத்தில்  மற்றும் பல திவ்யதேசங்களில் அரங்கநாதன் ஆதிசேஷன் மீது பள்ளிகொண்டிருக்கிறார். கிருஷ்ணாவதாரத்திலும் நாகங்களுடன் தொடர்புடைய அழகான நிகழ்வுகள் உள்ளன. கண்ணன் பிறந்த இரவில் வசுதேவர் குழந்தையை யமுனையைக் கடந்து கோகுலத்திற்குக் கொண்டு செல்லும்போது, ஆதிசேஷன் தனது படங்களை விரித்து மழையிலிருந்து குழந்தைக் கண்ணனைப் பாதுகாக்கிறார் என்பது  பாகவத மரபில் புகழ்பெற்ற காட்சி. நாகமான காளிங்கனின் மீது கண்ணன் நடனமாடி அவனது செருக்கை அடக்கி, பின்னர் அவனுக்கு அருள்புரியும் நிகழ்வு - காளிங்க நர்த்தனமாக கொண்டாடப்படுகிறது..   இந்த பதிவின் நாகர் வழிபாடு இதற்கு தொடர்புடையதல்ல .

நாக வழிபாடு பாரம்பரியமாக நீர், நிலத்தின் வளம், மழை, சந்ததி, குடும்ப நலம் ஆகியவற்றோடு தொடர்புபடுத்தப்பட்டுள்ளது. பாம்புகள் நிலத்தடியிலும் புற்றுகளிலும் வாழ்வதால், அவை நிலம் மற்றும் நீரின் மறைந்த சக்திகளுடன் தொடர்புடையவை என்ற பழங்காலக் கருத்தும் இதற்குப் பின்னணியாக இருக்கலாம்.  நாக பஞ்சமி, நாக சதுர்த்தி போன்ற நாட்களில் நாக வழிபாடு சிறப்பாக நடைபெறுகிறது. தமிழகத்தில் பெண்கள் நாகர் சிலைகளுக்கு மஞ்சள், குங்குமம் இட்டு, பால் முதலியவற்றை சமர்ப்பித்து வழிபடும் மரபும் பல இடங்களில் உள்ளது.  உயிருள்ள பாம்புகளுக்குப் பால் கொடுப்பது இயற்கையானதோ அவற்றிற்கு நல்லதோ அல்ல; பாம்புகள் இயல்பாகப் பால் அருந்தும் உயிரினங்கள் அல்ல.

நாக வழிபாடு இந்தியாவின் மிகப் பழமையான சமய மரபுகளில் ஒன்று.  இந்து சமயம் தவிர - பௌத்தம், ஜைனம்,  மரபுகளில்  கூட  நாகர்கள் இடம்பெறுகிறார்கள். புத்தரை மழையிலிருந்து காத்த முசலிந்த நாகன், ஜைன மரபில் பார்சுவநாதருக்கு மேலே விரியும் நாகக்குடை,  — இவை நாகக் கருத்தாக்கம் இந்தியச் சமயங்களில் எவ்வளவு ஆழமாக வேரூன்றியுள்ளது என்பதைக் காட்டுகின்றன.

திருவல்லிக்கேணி வெங்கட்ரங்கம் பிள்ளை தெருவில் - ஸ்ரீபார்த்தசாரதி சபா வளாகம் என்று பொதுவாக வழங்கப்பட்ட இடத்தில - அரச மரங்கள் உள்ளன.  சபா இயங்கி வந்த இடத்தின் எதிரில் ஒரு அரசமரமும் புற்றும் இருந்தது !  தற்சமயம் வாசவி பார்த்தாஸ் குடியிருப்பு வளாகத்தில் தொன்மை வாய்ந்த அரச மரம் உள்ளது.  பண்டிகை மற்றும் விசேஷ நாட்களில் இந்த மரத்திற்கும் அங்கே அமைந்துள்ள நாகர்களுக்கும் வழிபாடு பல்லாண்டுகளாக நடந்து வந்துள்ளது.

சமீபத்தில்  இங்கிருந்த ஒரு பெரிய பழைய அரசமரம் வருஷக்கணக்கானதால் பட்டுப் போய் விடவே வீழ்ந்தது.  அதே இடத்தில இன்று 'நாகர்கள்' புனர்-நிர்மாணம் செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளனர்.  புதிதாக மரங்களும் வைக்கப்பட உள்ளன. பக்தர்களுக்கு செய்தியாக இந்த பதிவு.

Regards – S Sampathkumar
7^th Sept 2026

 

crowds return to Chepauk !!! ........... reason ... the little star !!!

The cricket craze of Triplicane and most of Chennai is to be seen to be believed.  When was the last time, you saw a Cricket match on the ground ? 

Ages ago – may be it was 1976 or 1978 – in the evening went to Marina ground – there were at least 2500 – 3000 spectators – a left arm spinner was bowling in a Buchi babu match between Mafatlal and SBI team .. .. the man  clad in dhoti standing next to me identified him to be Dhiraj Parsana !! 

Those days of no internet, no coverage on television and very few photos in newspapers – great so many were able to identify even obscure cricketers.  I frequented Marina match seeing First division league as also tournament like Buchi Babu – on another day saw a lad steaming in and bowling really fast – identified as Rajamannar !! 

Chepauk / Marina / University Union grounds attracted crowds – there were the fathers taking their sons for direct visualization; some who come to have a close look at the established players [remember those were the days of no mobile / no photo / no selfie / no social media!] – then there were the knowledgeable crowd who understood nuances and discussed about the strategy and matches of Palayampatti shield.  Slowly those days changed for the worse !  in recent decade, we see and read of Ranji trophy matches being played before empty stands.  

For Ranji – even school boys would come and watch for a couple of hours before getting slyly back to school class room … BCCI trying to organize matches in neutral venues trying to nullify home advantage too was a reason for dwindling crowds.  

Read this :   It was an emotive Series that started at Chepauk in Feb 1987.  Pak played first, immediately lost Rizwan Uz Zaman to Raju Kulkarni; Shoaib Mohammad made a century; Miandad made 94 and helped by an unbeaten 135 by Imran, Pakistan made 487 for 9 declared and when play ended on 4th Feb 1987, the second day, Indians were 15 without loss with Srikkanth unbeaten on 5.

5th was a rest day and 6th started with great expectation for Chennai fans ~ all roads led to MA Chidambaram stadium and there was the mad scramble for tickets, milling crowds waiting impatiently at the ticket counters  – there were heads everywhere – people occupying all vantage points to have a glimpse of Krish Srikkanth playing the pace of Imran Khan; there was Wasim Akram, guily Abdul Qadir and Tausef ahamed to reckon.  It was breath-taking assault as Srikkanth, cut, pulled and played with gay abandon to reach his maiden century in front of his home ground with all present cheering merrily.  He finally got out to Tauseef making 123 with 18 fours and 2 sixers.  Gavaskar, Mohinder, Vengsarkar all made runs too as Indians declared at 527 for 9.   If I remember aright, there was successive 4 and 6 off Imran that delighted the crowd.  The match meandered to a draw and the Man of the Match was shared by Imran and Srikkanth. Have not seen such crowds for long !! 

In recent times for domestic tournaments of longer duration  the stands have been largely empty at Chepauk and at most centers. Cricketers miss spectator backing because when two non-local teams are playing, locals don’t have any interest in the match and big names skip local tournaments. 

 

Today 6.9.2026 is different at Chepauk – finals of Duleep trophy between East Zone and South Zone .. ..  an hour or so before the start – the stands C,D & E were fast filling up !.  TNCA had opened for free these three stands but seeing thousands of people turning up, an immediate good decision was taken to open up more stands.  According to media reports close to 15000 spectators, many of them in CSK yellowee came to watch the match

 

Reason : the 15 year old phenomenon called Vaibhav Sooryavanshi who we have seen hitting lofty sixers in IPL and for India too !!   

At Chepauk on day 1  East Zone finished at a commanding 385/4 with Ishan Kishan unbeaten on 111 and Kumar Kushagra unbeaten on 63.  Earlier the run machine Abhimanyu Easwaran made 72; Shikhar Mohan made 85 .. .. and the little lad for whom such large crowds turned up did not disappoing making a breezy 44 – he made some attractive strokes, picking Siraj for a sequence of 4,6,4 and playing a classy knock.

 
Interesting !
 
Regards – S Sampathkumar
6.9.2026
Pic of Crowds at Chepauk – Espn Cric info; Vaibhav - BCCI

 

how water travels in air !!! ~ Uriyadi !

Uriyadi  is not simply a water sport – it is divine for the cowherds & devotees – those of us who have seen will understand the religious fervour – this is more on how Water travels when thrown with a conical object  – projectile - momentum → liquid sheet → fragmentation → droplets → projectile motion. Do you see a peacock in the water ??

Some Science behind the water thrown with force from a Conical object.  The water probably travels several metres per second. With a sufficiently fast shutter, individual sheets, strands and droplets become visible. With a slow shutter, the same scene would instead appear as broad white streaks.  In this picture taken at Uriyadi thiruvizha at Thiruvallikkeni before Sri Parthasarathi Perumal, you can see  the water travelling from the right side toward the centre-left. It does not behave as one solid body of water. You can see several stages almost simultaneously:

1.    Immediately after being thrown, the water has considerable forward velocity and initially travels as a comparatively dense sheet or mass. The individual water molecules remain together because of cohesion and surface tension.

2.    The sheet stretches and becomes thinner. Different portions of the water have slightly different velocities and directions. Air resistance acts strongly on the broad, thin sheet, so it becomes unstable.

3.    The sheet tears into streams and droplets. This is what makes the photograph so interesting. Across the right half you can actually see numerous fine, almost parallel streaks. Those are droplets moving rapidly during the camera exposure.

4.    Gravity simultaneously pulls everything downward. So each individual droplet follows approximately a projectile trajectory — forward motion combined with downward acceleration. With sufficient distance, the overall path would become a parabola, although air drag makes it somewhat different from the ideal mathematical parabola.

Believe it is striking as a whip and will be pretty painful ! .. .. and it is divine !!

Interesting !

Regards – S Sampathkumar
6^th Sept 2026

 

A poster, Bodhisattva, thousand armed Senju Kannon – and some interesting details !!

 

How many of you are following  Duleep Trophy – finals is being played in Chennai at Chepauk stadium today – entry is free !!  -  one of the oldest major first-class competitions in Indian domestic cricket, and historically it occupied an interesting position above the Ranji Trophy level  

The BCCI instituted the tournament in 1961–62, naming it after Kumar Shri Duleepsinhji (1905–1959), nephew of the great K. S. Ranjitsinhji. Duleepsinhji was born in Kathiawar and played Test cricket for England, scoring 995 runs in 12 Tests at an average of 58.52. It began as the traditional five-zone knockout tournament. In 1993–94 it changed to a league system, and subsequently moved between league and knockout formats.  There were much more radical experiments later.   The zonal system returned again for 2025–26.  Now there are Six zones with inclusion of North East !! 

There was a time when SZ had a bowling combination of  E. A. S. Prasanna – B. S. Chandrasekhar – S. Venkataraghavan. For Madras cricket, Srinivasa Venkataraghavan is probably the outstanding Duleep Trophy figure of this period. Venkat  captained it extensively -  15 Duleep Trophy matches as captain between 1970 and 1979  !!  

At lunch  -  Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Abhimanyu Easwaran, who turns 31 today, were back at the pavilion after racing away playing  aggressive strokes all around the park with even Easwaran dancing down the track against the spinners for some big strokes. Sooryavanshi launched five fours and a six but as soon as the century stand came up he miscued a pull to deep midwicket while Easwaran marched on with such confident strokes, both against pace and spin.   

It is unlikely you identify the person in the photo or the place but this poster could give you some intriguing thoughts – clear there is a match on 22.9.2026!~ the faces of Men in Blue are identifiable.

                        Ōya-dera (大谷寺) is a Buddhist temple in Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. It is  remarkable because part of the temple is built directly against a dramatic cliff of soft volcanic Ōya stone.  What makes Ōya-dera particularly interesting is its group of Buddhist images carved directly into the rock face, known collectively as the Ōya Magaibutsu. The most famous is the Senju Kannon (Thousand-Armed Kannon), traditionally associated with the founding of the temple by Kūkai (Kōbō Daishi) in the early ninth century. Modern scholarship, however, is more cautious about the precise date and authorship of the carvings.  The temple belongs to the Tendai Buddhist tradition and is traditionally counted as the 19th temple of the Bandō 33 Kannon pilgrimage. The rock sculptures have been designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan.

There is an interesting Indian connection too. Kannon  is the Japanese form of Avalokiteśvara, the Bodhisattva of compassion—whose name and iconography travelled from India through Central Asia and China before developing distinctive Japanese forms. Thus the Senju Kannon here ultimately derives from the Indian Sahasrabhuja Avalokiteśvara, the “thousand-armed” manifestation of Avalokiteśvara.

Sano  is a city located in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan.  The total area of the city is 356.04 square kilometres (137.47 sq mi).  Tochigi Prefecture is located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Utsunomiya is the capital and largest city of Tochigi Prefecture, with other major cities including Oyama, Tochigi, and Ashikaga.  Tochigi Prefecture is one of only eight inland prefectures and its mountainous northern region is a popular tourist region in Japan.  

Moving to the Sports at the start – Cricket, the  first cricket match in Japan was played on 25 June 1863. British merchants at the foreign settlement in Yokohama (a treaty port) challenged sailors on a Royal Navy ship to a game. The invitation was a ploy to ensure that the merchant community would be protected in the case of an ambush from local samurai, as they had been warned of a planned attack on that date. The participants in the match carried revolvers and rifles to ensure their safety, although no attack eventuated. The first cricket club in Japan was the Yokohama Cricket Club, which was formed in 1868 by a Scotsman, James Mollison.  For a time, cricket was one of the common sports in Japan's foreign settlements, being played alongside baseball by both American and British expatriates.  Throughout most of the 20th century, the only cricket played in Japan was between the expatriate communities in Yokohama and Kobe.  However, in the 1980s, cricket was introduced into several universities, by Japanese students who had learnt the game in other countries. The Japan Cricket Association (JCA) was formed in 1984, and became an affiliate member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 1989, and an affiliate member of the International Women's Cricket Council (IWCC) in 1995.  

Sano Cricket Ground is a cricket ground in Sano, Japan.  The pitch is made of plastic carpet and is in pretty good condition. The ground is also used for baseball.   The news is - India will play a men's T20I against Japan to launch the celebrations of the 75th anniversary of India-Japan diplomatic relations. The one-off game for the Suzuki Cup will be played at the Sano International Cricket Ground on September 22. This is the first time India will play Japan in a men's T20I.  The match will be the first step of Sport 75, an initiative arising from the agreement during a meeting between Japanese prime minister Sanae Takaichi and India's PM  Shri Narendra Modiji. The move also aims to promote cooperation between the two nations with an eye on India's ambition to host the Olympics and Paralympic Games in 2036.

Japan will be the 20th team against whom India will play a T20I. Japan are ranked 41st in the men's T20I ranking, and are hosts of the Asian Games that start later this month. The venue in Tochigi Prefecture is different from the one that will host the men's and women's cricket competitions at the Asian Games - the Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin.

Japan's women's national team made their international debut at the 2003 IWCC Trophy in the Netherlands. These were the first One Day International (ODI) matches played by any Japanese team, with the Japanese men's team yet to play at that level.  Mai Yanagida pictured at the middle  is a Japanese international cricketer.  In April 2019, she captained Japan's squad in the 2019 ICC Women's Qualifier EAP tournament in Vanuatu.  Born in Kanagawa, Yanagida played softball in her youth and first played cricket as a student at Waseda University.

Interesting !  A poster, Bodhisattva,  thousand armed Senju Kannon – and some interesting details !!

Regards – S Sampathkumar

6^th Sept 2026